Safety gas-valve.



F. J. HESSE.

SAFETY GAS VALVE. APPLICATION man JUNE 16. 1914.

1 ,1 96%55. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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avmmmtoz FRANK J. HESSE, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY GAS-VALVE.

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,415.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. Hnssn, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Gas-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in valves, and has particular reference to that type which are used in connection with illuminating gas burners,

and are automatic in operation.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, that is designed to eliminate the danger of loss of life by asphyxiation, as it is constructed to automatically lock and check the flow of gas to the burner upon the cutting off of the flow of gas at the gas tap, and to remain locked until released by the action of a spring pressed plunger.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which may be constructed of few parts, reliable in its operation, and cheap to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are ac complished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced topractice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device, showing the valve in its closed position, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the valve in its open position, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, the numeral 1 designates a cylindrical valve casing which is interposed be tween the burner designated B as an entirety, and the pipe 2 which communicates with the main pipe line, (not shown), and

has operably connected therewith the ordinary type of gas cock, alsonot shown. The lower terminal of the valve casing 1 is internally screw threaded to receive the screw threaded upper terminal 3 of a tubular valve section 4, which is provided at a point intermediate and essentially central of the ends with an annular flange 5 which is adapted to engage the lower terminal of and lie flush with the cylindrical casing 1. The lower terminal of the tubular valve member 4: is internally screw threaded to receive the screw threaded upper terminal 6 of the pipe 2. The upper terminal of the tubular valve member A is closed as indicated at 7, with the exception of a circular counter-sunk open-ing'8 which extends through the closed portion of the tubular valve member 4.

A plug valve 9 having a beveled head portion 10 and a reduced shank 11 is loosely mounted within the opening 8 and engages the side wall thereof for a distance equivalent to the length of the unreduced portion of the plug valve 9. The beveled head 10 of the plug valve 9 is adapted to seat within the counter-sunk opening 8.

Mounted upon the upper terminal of the tubular valve member 4: is a bifurcated curved supporting arm 12 which is provided centrally of its ends with an opening 13. Formed on the upper terminal of the supporting arm 12 are enlarged transverse apertured portions 14,

A depending locking bolt or arm is pivotally mounted between the enlarged heads 14 of the supporting arm 12 by means of the pivot pin 16. Formed on the lower terminal of the depending arm 15 is an en larged ball member 17, which is provided with a flattened surface 18 adjacent one side thereofwhieh is adapted to frictionally engage the rounded portion 19, formed on the free terminal of a movable bolt supporting and valve seating arm 20 which is pivotally mounted between the sides of the bifurcated arm 12 as indicated at 21. The ball member 17 is also provided at its under side with a flattened portion 18 which is adapted to engage the ball' member 19 and hold the same into engagement with-the head 10 of the plug valve, to hold said valve in its closed position.

A boss 22 is formed on one side of the cylindrical valve casing 1, and is provided with an internally screw threaded opening extending centrally therethrough, in which is adapted to be removably and slidably mounted a plunger 23 which is provided intermediate its ends with an'annular stop 24 The inner terminal'28 of theplung'er23 extends through the opening 13 in the bifurcated supporting arm 12, and is adapted a to engage the flattened surface 18 of'the ball ,member 17 upon the inward movement of the plunger 23' against the action of 5 a "helical spring 29, which is mounted upon the plunger 23' and engages at its respective ball member 17, when the valve is in itsterminals the enlarged'head 27 and the nut 26. a The action of the helical spring 29 is such'asto cause the inner terminal28 ofthe plunger 23 to be normally spaced from the closed position.

.- The operation of my device may be briefly described as follows: Assuming that the valve is in its closed position, as clearly indicatedjn Fig. 1, to open the valve, the

plunger 23 is pushed inwardly, so that the free terminal thereof engages the flattened surface 18 of the ball member 17 and forces.

it outwardly from engagement with the rounded portion 19,which action allows the valve 9 to be moved upwardly by the gas pressure. As the valve 9 moves upwardly, it forces, the rounded portion 19 into engagement with the ball member 17 and the flattened surface 18 on the ball member,

serves to hold the rounded, portion 19 out of engagement with the valve 9, whereby the flow of gas will be continuous through the valve opening 8 and casing 1 and to the burner B as the pressure of the gas will hold the plug valve 9 out ofv engagement with the opening 8, and in a position supporting the rounded portion 19, out of look ing engagement with the flattened surface 18 on the ballmember 17.

Itis apparent with reference to the. draw.- ing that in order to lockthe valve in its closedposition, to prevent the gas from escaping into'theroom, should thegas cock be accidentally turned on after'the gas had been extinguished, thegas cock is turned to cut off. the flow of gas to the'burner, and

upon the diminution of the pressure the valve-Rand rounded portion 19 will drop automatically to a position which will close the valveand allow the member 19 to be engaged by the flattened surface 18 of the ball minor changes in details of construction,

proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention,.as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 1. A safety gas valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a valve controlling the inlet port and adapted to be seated and held unseated by the pressure of gas,an upright supportlocated within the casing, a locking bolt pivoted to the upper end of the support and depending downwardly therefrom, the ends of said bolt terminating into a spherical head having one side flattened, a bolt supporting and valve seating arm pivoted to the lower end of said support, the free end of which terminates into a spherical member to engage the fiat face of the spherical head of the bolt when said valve is unseated, and means by which the locking bolt may be moved into an inoperative position to permit of the unseating of said valve.

2. A safety gas valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a Valve controlling the inlet port, and adapted to be seated and held unseated by the pressure of the gas, an upright support located within the casing, a locking bolt pivoted to the upper end of and depending from the support, its free end terminating into a spherical head having one side flattened, a bolt supporting and valve seating arm pivoted to the lower end of the support having a spherical head adapted to engage the upper face of the valve, means by which the locking bolt may be moved into inoperative position'when the valve is unseated, the head of the valve seating arm engaging the front face of the bolt whereby upon the seating of said. valve the valve seating arm will be dropped and the spherical head of the bolt willabut the upperface of the head of the valve seating arm and hold the same locked upon decrease of gas pressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK J. HESSE.

Witnesses:

PATRICK BRENNAR, THOMAS Cox,

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. G. V 

